Search

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Soil is the most important basic natural resource for the support of agricultural production systems. Productivity maintenance in these ecosystems depends on their physicochemical. However, there are no significant studies on the current status of soil fertility and quality in tropical areas vulnerable to climate change and lacking management practices. The purpose of this study was to assess the physical and chemical properties of the soil to propose guidelines on soil handling and management in tropical areas. METHODS: Data on texture, macronutrients, micronutrients, and cation ratios were collected at 200 farms in the Sucre Department of Northern Colombia. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were performed on the resulting data set, and a soil quality index was calculated. FINDINGS: Macronutrients N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, and Na displayed average values of 21.65 ± 10.65 part per million, 40.35 ± 67.21 part per million, 0.46 ± 0.43 meq/100g, 7.94 ± 28.35 part per million, 15.63 ± 17.30 meq/100 g, 5.63 ± 3.58 meq/100g, 0.19 ± 0.20 meq/100g, respectively. Micronutrients Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn displayed average values of 2.20 ± 1.66 part per million, 48.05 ± 37.87 part per million, 1.16 ± 1.26 part per million, 14.22 ± 12.24 part per million, respectively. The predominant texture among assessed soils was sandy clay loam. A significant correlation was found between (Ca/Mg) K-Ca/K, (Ca/Mg) K-Mg/K, Fe-Cu, and Cacation exchange capacity. The soil quality index of the soils assessed in the Department of Sucre indicates a high level of quality, which is strongly influenced by the indicators S, P, Mn (= 0.90) Fe, Zn, Cu, K, Na (= 0.80). CONCLUSION: The macronutrients displayed a deficiency of potassium. It is therefore recommended to monitor these soils and apply fertilization plans according to the needs of each assessed soil. Lastly, this study provides relevant information for proposing guidelines for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies by our group have shown that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is the main pathway by which pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) meet their energetic requirements; therefore, OXPHOS represents an Achille's heel of these highly tumorigenic cells. Unfortunately, therapies that target OXPHOS in CSCs are lacking., Methods: The safety and anti-CSC activity of a ruthenium complex featuring bipyridine and terpyridine ligands and one coordination labile position (Ru1) were evaluated across primary pancreatic cancer cultures and in vivo, using 8 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). RNAseq analysis followed by mitochondria-specific molecular assays were used to determine the mechanism of action., Results: We show that Ru1 is capable of inhibiting CSC OXPHOS function in vitro, and more importantly, it presents excellent anti-cancer activity, with low toxicity, across a large panel of human pancreatic PDXs, as well as in colorectal cancer and osteosarcoma PDXs. Mechanistic studies suggest that this activity stems from Ru1 binding to the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA of CSCs, inhibiting OXPHOS complex-associated transcription, leading to reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption, membrane potential, and ATP production, all of which are necessary for CSCs, which heavily depend on mitochondrial respiration., Conclusions: Overall, the coordination complex Ru1 represents not only an exciting new anti-cancer agent, but also a molecular tool to dissect the role of OXPHOS in CSCs. Results indicating that the compound is safe, non-toxic and highly effective in vivo are extremely exciting, and have allowed us to uncover unprecedented mechanistic possibilities to fight different cancer types based on targeting CSC OXPHOS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis C are at increased risk for hyperferritinemia (HF). Abnormalities of serum iron parameters are frequently observed in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). About a third of patients have increased iron parameters. Recently, studies on the effect of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in HCV eradication in patients with increased serum iron has been published, demonstrating the restoration of normal iron status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of viral eradication with DDAs in patients with CHC and HF., Methods: Retrospective study conducted from January 2018 to December 2020 including patients treated with DAAs for HCV. Pre-treatment (PreT) and post-treatment (PostT) serum ferritin values were evaluated in all patients. Inclusion criteria: Pret HF (>400 μg/L); CHC patients treated with DAA achieving sustained viral response (SVR). Exclusion criteria: No PreT or PostT HF available; no SVR; lost patients., Results: From 621 patients treated with DAAs for CHC, 77 presented HF (12.40%), and 74 were included in the study. Fifty nine were men (79.73%) with a mean age 58.33, SD 8.68; PreT mean ferritin: 893.20 (SD 1037.09); PostT: 264.17 (SD 161.33); PreT mean transferrin saturation: 40.96 (SD 15.71); PostT: 29.82 (SD 11.17); PreT mean serum iron 152.32 (SD 62.07), PostT: 109.32 (SD 39.49). When we compared PreT and PostT iron parameters, significant statistical differences were present considering ferritin ( p = 0.0000), transferrin saturation ( p = 0.0000), and iron ( p = 0.0002) determinations., Conclusions: SVR after DAAs for CHC induces a statistically significant reduction on iron parameters., (© Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver, 2023.)

Objective: To compare cesarean delivery rates and indications by race/ethnicity among nulliparous women with term, singleton, vertex presentation deliveries., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of nulliparous women delivering term, singleton, vertex neonates at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 1/1/2016 to 6/30/2017. Women with cesarean for elective, malpresentation, or previa were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for maternal, neonatal, and facility factors were used to assess the likelihood of cesarean by race/ethnicity. Further modeling was performed to examine odds of cesarean for the indications of failure to progress and fetal intolerance by race/ethnicity., Results: The cohort of 16,587 racially/ethnically diverse women meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria consisted of 41.62% White, 27.73% Asian, 22.11% Hispanic, 5.32% Black, and 3.21% multiple race/other women. In adjusted logistic regression models, all race and ethnic categories had higher odds of cesarean deliveries in comparison to White women. Black women had the highest odds of cesarean delivery (adjusted OR [aOR] = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.45-2.06), followed by Asian (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.45-2.06), multiple race/other (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.17-1.80), and Hispanic (aOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.28-1.59) women. Compared with White women, Asian (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.22-1.74) and Hispanic (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.03-1.52) women had higher odds of failure to progress as the indication. Among women with failure to progress, Black (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.81), Hispanic (aOR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53-0.87), and Asian (aOR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61-0.96) women were less likely than White women to reach 10 cm dilation. Compared with White women, Black women were more likely to have cesarean delivery for fetal intolerance (aOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.10-2.07). Among women with fetal intolerance of labor, there were no significant differences by race/ethnicity for Apgar score or neonatal intensive care unit admission., Conclusions: Race/ethnicity was significantly associated with the odds of cesarean and indication. All other race/ethnicity groups had higher odds of cesarean compared with White women. Compared with White women, Black women had greater odds of fetal intolerance as an indication, while Hispanic and Asian women had greater odds of failure to progress. Maternal, neonate, and facility factors for cesarean delivery did not explain the observed disparities in cesarean delivery rates., (© 2021. The Author(s).)